1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge holder for a magnetic recording/playback apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A streamer apparatus as a peripheral storage device for a computer that includes a rotating drum and a tape loading mechanism and uses a tape cartridge like the VTR is being commercialized.
It is noted that a current streamer apparatus has a relatively large storage capacity of 72 GBytes at compression mode, for example. However, there is an ever growing demand for increased storage capacity, and in turn, manufacturers are developing techniques for increasing the storage capacity of the streamer apparatus.
One way of increasing the storage capacity involves enabling the use of a new tape cartridge that accommodates a magnetic tape with a wider tape width compared to the tape width of the magnetic tape of the current tape cartridge.
It is noted that a magnetic recording/playback apparatus includes a tape cartridge automatic loading mechanism that is configured to automatically load a tape cartridge by moving a tape cartridge holder that holds the tape cartridge inserted therein.
Accordingly, in order to enable use of the new tape cartridge as is described above, the tape cartridge holder has to be capable of properly holding the current tape cartridge as well as the new tape cartridge so that both the current tape cartridge and the new tape cartridge may be selectively inserted therein.
However, a tape cartridge holder of a conventional tape cartridge automatic loading mechanism is only capable of holding a tape cartridge of one size.